In earlier Hitman games, the audio would change with specific events. For example, who can forget sniping the general in St Petersburg, and seconds later hearing the soaring orchestra? Or when you add the laxative to Fabian Fuchs' borscht, and the music instantly becomes whispery and tense. Then there's the pounding music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy0T8nmw5GQ)that plays when guards get suspicious (thanks to Adrian Shephard for reminding me of this).

Absolution pretty much stripped down the audio to signify events such as 'guard's detection meter is filling', 'your cover is blown', 'some guy would detect you right now if you weren't pressed up against this wall', etc. This kinda sucked, seeing as it was designed to be memorable (for Purist players) and not necessarily good. For example, you hear 'whooooosh' while playing on Purist and go 'damn, that guy detected me'. It's basically a replacement for the detection arc. In older games, the music that played after killing your target would be triumphant, to instil in you a feeling of accomplishment. It was an enhancement to the experience, not just something slapped on to replace a HUD element.

What I want is less sound effects that are Absolution type 'replacements' for visual cues, and more that are there to add to the atmosphere, to the thrill, to the tension of being a silent assassin.

Lumpel

21st Jul 2014, 14:03

Yes, we all miss Jesper Kyd!!!!!

AdrianShephard

21st Jul 2014, 19:21

Overall, the audio (minus the music) in Absolution is superb and is the only thing I will compliment about the game. The voice-acting is some of the best I've ever heard and the muffled sound effects (when you are outside of a bar or loud area) is impressive.

But soundtrack has always played a huge part in the Hitman series and the audio department has slowly phased that out starting with Blood Money. In BM, we get the same 3 or 4 audio tracks when we are exploring, and the 2 or 3 different combat themes...but you could cycle through all of them in the same level. There was no/few level specific tune that would burn into your memory (like St. Petersburg missions).

For Hitman 6, we should definitely have unique theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbA4tId4zSU) for after a target is killed separate from the level theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elERKB4D3Hs) (such as the links I provided). It's definitely a blast of refreshment when the orchestra starts playing up and priorities shift from killing to escaping.

I also vote for the suspicious drum beat to come back from the first few Hitman games. That was actually useful and not all show.

Lumpel

21st Jul 2014, 20:33

I wish that IO Interactive team could make a comment about the Soundtrack in Hitman 6!! :)

AdrianShephard

21st Jul 2014, 20:48

I wish that IO Interactive team could make a comment about the Soundtrack in Hitman 6!! :)

I don't think we are going to get any news for a long long time. I'm hoping for something at Gamescom next month.